Property Rights in Ecuador
I have looked into this quite a bit and I know several educated Ecuadorians.
The bottom line is that if you purchase a condominium you will be protected because there are guards and the other owners are fairly well off, therefore nothing will happen to the property rights of any owner, and no squatters could ever move in. However, if you purchase land and/or a house, especially in a small town or rural area, you will need to have a local person looking out for the place, either living there or guarding it somehow.
A big city condo is a safe move.